1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mouse devices for computers, workstations, embedded devices and the like, and particularly to a system implementing a novel mouse device for enabling a greater degree of control over several computers/devices.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Computer mouse devices employed in personal computers (PCS), workstations, and the like, are limited in the sense that they only are available for controlling events pertaining to a current display on the physical display screen of the monitor connected to the particular computer device. This creates a problem in obtaining data from different peripheral devices not connected to the computer, e.g., calculator, or other computer screens, LCD displays of palmtop computers, tapes, embedded devices etc., due to the fact that such control requires some kind of connection with the target computer: wire, LAN dial-up, IR, RF, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,296 describes a user-wearable interface device in the form of a ring, for enabling interaction with a variety of electronic apparatuses, e.g., computers, by a form of wireless transmission, however, does not enable simultaneous control of several computers/devices, nor enable any other type of interaction, such as copying and moving of data to or from the several devices.
A currently available product entitled MouseREMOTE.TM. by x10 (found at URL http://www.x10.com) is a wireless lmouseff device enabling user control of a PC device and other devices from anywhere in a room. However, the x10 mouse merely communicates with the devices by transmitting pre-defined calls (e.g., using IR or RF) and is incapable of receiving any information. Additionally, every device to be controlled by the x10 device has to have a receiver that is enabled for interpreting such pre-defined calls.
It would be highly desirable to provide a boundless computer mouse control system that is boundless in the sense that it is configured to activate and/or control remote devices, e.g., peripheral devices, when a computer mouse cursor reaches the outside of a screen that is controlled by the mouse.
It would be highly desirable to further provide a boundless mouse device and system implemented for reading information from the screens or memories of other peripheral embedded devices, temporarily storing the read information into a cache memory provided in the mouse device, and pasting it back to a target computer or another embedded device running another process.